Regarding seeing barn owls in Uplyme I wouldn’t hold your breath Martyn. I have lived in the Rhode Hill area for 20 years and have never seen one in the parish. Apparently the year before we moved in they bred for the last time in an outbuilding at the Dairy House Rhode Hill. I don’t know if the reason for their demise was because netting was put across the entrance to the loft or that the purpose of it was to keep out stock doves, perhaps mistakenly identified as “pigeons”, that moved in later.
The nearest record of one that I know was one that roosted for a few days in a cowshed at Monkton Wyld Court probably 15 years ago.

The other owl that seemed to disappear soon after the barn owl was the little owl, which in the first year or two of moving in here one often perched on a telegraph pole in the garden. Also one was often seen around the western lower end of Rhode Lane.

I suppose these are just two of the many species of animals being affected by progress and modern farming methods. How long ago did we loose the lapwing, the partridge and even the corncrake from the parish, all ground nesting birds not to mention the skylark which I believe just manages to hang on.

As for the number of birds I have seen/heard in/over or from my garden I have just had a tally up and it comes to 95 species, although one of these was an escaped Harris Hawk. As for unusual ones I suppose you could include in this category things like hoopoe, red and black kite, golden oriole, black redstart and firecrest_________________It's later than you think

Wow Rhodie, 95 species is a lot; don't think I could even name that many.
We have a lot of pairs at the moment, in Rocombe, which is nice to see.
ie a pair of Jays, pair of Nuthatch, pair of Buzzard, pair of Blackbird, pair of Magpie. We have a regular Tawny and another closeby somewhere, they talk to each other regularly.

Our local pair of Tawnys is now raising its single youngster. Sits in one of our trees almost all day now. Parents still feeding it, but less and less frequently. Beautiful thing.
Also, yesterday, whilst walking down Jericho way, I saw the first Dipper I've seen in this area. Very fast fly-past, but I'm sure it was a Dipper._________________I intend to live forever: - so far so good.

About two months ago I saw five large birds, all mobbing the tree with the owl box in it. I didn't know whether the box was occupied then but I assume so.
They were hard to see through the branches. Initial glance I thought Hoopoes, then I thought 'No, can't be', then I thought Jays, but I've never seen five large Jays together like that before.
Then they disappeared, really fast.
Still don't know what they were._________________I intend to live forever: - so far so good.

I am certain that the bird you saw at Jericho was a Dipper they have been proved breeding for the Atlas. In fact I am told that birders in London who desperately ‘must have’ a Dipper for their yearly list are recommended Lyme Regis to ‘get it’. What’s 150 miles for a twitcher?

As for the large birds mobbing your owl box. If they were Jays I am sure there would have been a lot of screeching involved. Even birds that don’t usually flock will gang up to mob something. A couple of weeks ago I saw a group of 17 Crows mobbing something in Sleech Wood. Then suddenly they all lost interest and went off singly or in pairs in all directions.

Can definitely confirm baby Tawny Owl in the garden.
We used to get loads of Collared Doves, and hundreds of House Sparrows, when I lived in Hawkchurch, but none here in Uplyme - strange.
Did have four Bullfinches together last weekend though._________________I intend to live forever: - so far so good.

Rhodie,
Can definately confirm Dippers breeding on the Blackwater, just North-East of Hawkchurch this year.
That any use to your survey thing?_________________I intend to live forever: - so far so good.

Thanks for the news of the dippers on the Blackwater. Good to know but unfortunately the Breeding Bird Atlas fieldwork finished last year.

Have your local swallows and house martins returned yet?

Early migrants, blackcaps, chiffchaffs and willow warblers, were very early this year because of the excellent weather for migration. Then with the official announcement that the South West was also in a drought zone the inevitable deluge began and seriously curtailed migration. Still a lot of catching up to do but it is also possible that large numbers of migrants died due to the adverse conditions and numbers will be low this year._________________It's later than you think